Final position
After Nakamura unexpectedly lost yesterday to the lowest seed, he bounced back big time today by beating a very experienced GM Illescas, former second for Kramnik. I am very happy to see Hikaru’s success. He has an enormous amount of talent and he can go as far as he wants. Sometimes it takes a little growing pain and I hope this is his break out event.
Here is the game:
GM Nakamura (2648) – GM Illescas (2598) [E06]
25.10.2007
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bd2 Be4 11.Qc1 Nbd7 12.Ba5 Ra7 13.Nbd2 Bd5 14.Re1 Ne4 15.Nxe4 Bxe4 16.Qf4 Nf6 17.Ne5 Bxg2 18.Kxg2 Bd6 19.Rac1 Nd5 20.Qd2 Ne7 21.Nc6 Nxc6 22.Rxc6 Bb4 23.Bxb4 Qd5+ 24.f3 Qxc6 25.Rc1 Qd7 26.Bxf8 Kxf8 27.Rc5 Kg8 28.Qc3 h6 29.b4 Qd6 30.a3 a5 31.bxa5 Qa6 32.Rxc7 Rxc7 33.Qxc7 b4 34.Kf2 bxa3 35.Qb8+ Kh7 36.Qb4 a2 37.Qa4 Qd6 38.a6 White wins 1–0
Click here to replay the game.
Well done Hikaru. I’m glad that this blog is dedicating a lot of space for Hikaru. He’s quite a player.
I have an opinion about his loss to the lowest rated player who played the exact moves that Shredder played. Oms played the moves not having to think too much on his own. They are quite well known, even to class players like myself. If Naka had ventured to play even his old 1….Nc6 he probably would have beaten Oms. Its sort of like what Fischer said of the Dragon even weak players beat GMs. The K.I.D is in repair…perhaps Radjabov can repair it although I miss Xie Jun’s handling of it. Some of its most ardent practictioners have shelved it( Judit and Kasparov). That being said I believe that Nakamura has the tactical wizardry to find the nuances there but.. it requires an enormous amount of work, to find something that has not been played.
Is there analysis of Nakamuras King walk game. Susan could you give us some insight? When do you think Nakamura caluculated the King walk. Was it all sound?
The Naka attack cannot be beat back. Go Tojo go.
So well spoken, Susan. You’re like the coach we all would love to have!
Jadwin